Mastercard debuts its 'sonic brand identity,' a lyrics-less melody

Sound strategy follows the debut of its wordless logo

Mastercard is following up on its new text-free logo by leaning more into audio branding. On Friday, Mastercard debuted its "sonic brand identity," a lyrics-less melody that gives new meaning to brand jingles.

The new work has one core, 12-second melody that Mastercard will adapt into different versions of varying lengths and instruments. The brand plans to use the sound, developed with Mike Shinoda of band Linkin Park, for things such as hold music, ringtones and point-of-sale acceptance chimes in stores.

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The new sound is part of a back-to-basics streamlining for Mastercard that includes a wordless logo the brand debuted last month. The symbol puts the payments company on the level of other big-name operators such as Nike and Apple. At the time, Rajamannar noted to Ad Age that as consumers are focused on smaller screens, real estate for brand logos is shrinking.

Similarly, Mastercard is reacting to another trend: the rising popularity of voice commerce. The brand cited a report from last year in which strategy consulting firm OC&C Strategy Consultants predicted voice shopping will hit $40 billion in 2022, up from $2 billion in 2018. Many brands are beginning to evaluate their audio strategies in an era in which Amazon's Echo and Google Home are becoming more prominent. Two years ago, Burger King gained widespread attention for using a TV ad to elicit a response from Google Home. Experts say brands need to define their audio DNA as they develop earworm-worthy jingles.

Mastercard plans to boost its new audio offering with a marketing campaign starring musical artist Camila Cabello. It will also highlight the sound at the Mastercard Sensory Lab within retailer Fred Segal's Los Angles store.

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Adrianne Pasquarelli

A reporter with Ad Age since 2015, Adrianne Pasquarelli covers the marketing strategies of retailers and financial institutions. She joined Ad Age after a dozen years of writing for Crain's New York Business, where she also focused on the retail industry. Over the course of her career, she has won awards from the Society of American Business Editors and Writers, the National Association of Real Estate Editors and the Jesse H. Neal Awards.